Friends of the Savannah Coastal Wildlife Refuges (FSCWR) is an organization of volunteers from coastal Georgia and South Carolina dedicated to preserving and protecting the seven National Wildlife Refuges in our area and the Refuge System as a whole.

These refuges, managed by the United States Fish & Wildlife Service, are part of the National Wildlife Refuge System, which consists of more than 565 Refuges across the US, the Caribbean, and the Pacific.

We were formed in 2007 and granted tax-exempt 501(c)(3) status by the US Internal Revenue Service in 2008.

Kingfisher Discovery Center Project Fundraising

Many of us share the concern that our children are growing up estranged from the natural world. Children who grow up without contact with and love for the natural world are unlikely to be motivated to protect and defend our wilderness heritage as adults. Educating our youth and instilling in them a love for nature is part of our vision. The Kingfisher Discovery Center will provide a facility to allow many more children to participate in educational activities.

Pinckney Visitor Accessibility Project

The Friends group was awarded a generous grant from Community Foundation of the Lowcountry for Pinckney Island NWR Visitor Programs & Accessibility. The grant funds allowed us to purchase equipment including a 15-seat electric shuttle, bicycles, binoculars, informational brochures, tables/chairs and improved signage.

Become a Member

We are an all-volunteer organization. All our funding comes from memberships, donations, grants, and sales at our nature store, The Gator Hole, located in the Savannah NWR Visitor Center. Please consider joining us today. Your membership donation is tax-deductible.

Not a member yet?

Won't you join us? Now more than ever, with the proposed Refuge System budget calling for dramatic cuts, all of us need to show our support for the irreplaceable national treasure that is our refuge system. Our refuges make up the world's largest system of protected wildlife habitat, and we must guarantee that it survives and thrives as a legacy for our children and their children. Won't you help by joining us now?

social MEDIA SITES

We are working on expanding our presence on social media platforms. If you have an interest or a talent for facebook, Twitter, or other platforms, and are willing to help, please contact us.

Savannah National Wildlife Refuge

Savannah NWR is the largest of the seven Refuges that make up the Savannah Coastal Refuges Complex. The refuge was established in 1927 as a migratory bird sanctuary, and has expanded over the year to its current 29,452 acres.

Hard to believe but this will be our 10th Annual Meeting! We are pleased to welcome back Tony Mills from the Lowcountry Institute with his presentation "Living in our Coastal Kingdom: Lessons Learned from Lowcountry Animals". Tony is a well-known and well-respected naturalist and star of the long-running TV series Coastal Kingdom. His presentation will feature a collection of his animal friends with an opportunity for the audience to get up close and personal with these amazing creatures.

Holly Gaboriault, Project Leader for the Savannah Coastal Refuges Complex, will present a “State of the Refuges” update. Rick Shields, Friends president, will report on activities of the Friends group over the past year, and give an update on the Kingfisher Discovery Center Project. We will also hold an election to fill four open seats on the Friends Board of Directors.

This meeting is free and open to the public, with light refreshments and live music. Only Friends members are eligible to vote (you can join up or renew at the door). We are holding both an on-line auction prior to the meeting (bidding opens March 22) and a silent auction at the meeting. We will offer some exciting and unique nature-oriented items that you will not find elsewhere.

I have been informed by FWS law Enforcement that effective at 12:01 AM today, a partial government shutdown is in effect. The Visitor Center at Savannah NWR and the Contact Station at Harris neck NWR are closed until further notice. The Laurel Hill Wildlife Drive on Savannah NWR, the drive at Harris Neck NWR, and Pinckney Island NWR are open with normal hours of operation.

I suspect most of you are bombarded with donation requests as the end of the year approaches. The Friends set a goal of raising $50,000 before our annual meeting on April 5th, an amount that will let us start construction on the Kingfisher Discovery Center. In the last two weeks we have raised $2300 from Friends members, including a very generous gift of $1000 from Life Members Bill and Marily Teeter (a big Friends thanks to you!)

Recent changes in the federal tax code are expected to reduce charitable giving next year by reducing drastically the number of households that itemize their federal income tax.

Please consider maximizing your giving and your tax benefit by donating to the Friends before December 31, 2017. You can send a check to the Friends at our PO Box below, or donate online HEREor HERE.

Thanks in advance, and let's get this important project into the construction phase ASAP!

Hurricane Irma did significant damage to Savannah NWR. The Laurel Hill Wildlife Drive and all trails north and south of SC-170 are closed until further notice. Wassaw NWR is also closed. Pinckney Island NWR is open, as is the Savannah NWR Visitor Center.